Electrical insulating panel



July 16, 1940. G, SMQLAK. 2,208,232

ELECTRICAL INsULATI-NG PANEL Filed June 21. 19:57

, NVENTOR. George ,.Smol/c.

BY @A7-00% A TTORNEY Patented July 16, 1940 UNITED STATES azosase ELECTRICAL msULA'rrNG PANEL George Smolak, Somerville, N. J., assignor to Johns-Manvilie Corporation, New York, N. Y.. a corporation of New York Application June 21,1931, serai No. 149,411

5 claims. (cl. 11s-298) /fy-Zf This invention relates to an article of manufacture. It relates, more particularly, to a fibrereenforced cementitious sheet including a waterrepellent agent incorporated therein and addi- 6 tional meansassociated with outer portions of the sheet for reducing penetration by moisture.

The product of the invention is useful for various structural purposes, as, for instance, in the construction of buildings. It is especially ad- 10 vantageous as an" electrical insulator, in various shapes, and as a support for electrical equipment. such as terminals, or switches. Such s upports are hereinafter referred to as switchboard panels and the invention will be exemplified by l5 description in connection with such panels.

Asbestos and cement sheets, if used in unimpregnated form for electrical insulators or switchboard panels show low dielectric strength when wet. If impregnated with asphalt or the 20 like in the usual manner, they are susceptible to carbonizing. If made with a calcium aluminate cement, they are relatively expensive.

I'he present invention provides a relatively inexpensive and strong sheet, having little tendency 25 to carbonize and develop conducting paths on exposure to arcing or short circuiting, of minimized capacity for absorbing water, and of high dielectric strength on exposure to moisture.

'Ihe preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing to which reference is made. The drawing shows a sectional view of a sheet made according to the invention and illustrates the distribution oi materials within the sheet, even though some of them are not visible 35 to the eye.

There are shown sheets constituted largely of an intimate mixture of inorganic bres, a hydraulic cement and water-repellent material, the cement being in hardened condition.

40 There may be used a water-repellent agent Il distributed substantially uniformly throughout the entire sheet and means associated with the exterior portions'of the sheet for reducing further the penetration of the sheet'by water to which it may be exposed. These-means include (a) a water-repellent composition l2 impregnated into the outer portions of the article and closing the pores therein against penetration by .o water and/or (b) a layer Il of substantially water-impenetrable and electrical insulating material -applied over the exterior surface of the article.

In the structures described. the water-repellent u material is present in greater proportion in the :ixilzerior portions than in the interior of the arc es.

In general, the method of manufacture comprises forming an intimate mixture of inorganic fibres, a hydraulic cement. water in excess and, also, the waterproong agent l I (if such an agent is to be distributed throughout the finished product) shaping and strongly compressing the mixture, with the expression of excess water, hardening the compressed product and then applying the composition I2 and/or the layer I3.

The ilbres selected should be inorganic, so that they are not subject to charring or burning when exposed to elevated temperatures and should be such as to reenforce the cement, in order to give l5 a product of desired high breaking strength. Among such fibres that may be used are asbestos fibres particularly those of the chrysotile, crocidolite or amosite variety. The chrysotile variety when used in the product gives good results and is therefore the preferred type of bres. While various lengths and grades of the bres may be used, I prefer a variety of medium to relatively short length such as conventionallyy used in the manufacture of asbestos and Portland cement shingles or siding units,

The hydraulic cement used should be one that is not decomposed at temperatures to which it may be exposed on the surface of a switchboard panel and that is adapted to give a strong waterresistant composition, when used in the manner herein described. Thus, there may be used Portland cement or a high calcium aluminate cement (such, lfo'r example, as the kind known as Luminite") While the aluminate cement has a lower moisture absorption capacity than the Portland cement, my improved product is made sc low in moisture absorption, in any event, that the less expensive Portland cement is satisfactory and is preferred, because of the economy result- 4o ing from its use.

The proportions of ilbres to Portland cement may be about those that are usual in asbestos cement sheets now in use for similar purposes. Thus, for switchboard panels, there may be used approximately equal parts by weight of the asbestos ibres and Portland cement, say, 25 to 'l0 tpiirrts of the ilbres to 100 par-ts of the total mix- Ihe water-repellent agent Il, if used at all, is distributed substantially uniformly throughout the entire article.

For this agent there is used, to advantage, a substance or mixture oi' j substances of pronounced negative capillarity for water and one GROSS REFERtNUr that is not of deleterious eifect upon or adversely aifected by the other ingredients of the finished article. Examples of such agents that may be used are the water-repellent soapsV of the multi- Tlie water-repellent composition I2 is, preferably, one that also has pronounced negative capiliarity for water, ischemically inert towards the other ts of the composition and is not susceptible to objectionable bleeding or carbonizing. under conditions of use of the iinished article. The composition is one adapted, advantageously, to close the pore spaces in portions of the article into which it is impregnated. Further, this composition should also be one adapted not to undergo loss of water-repellency with age, as, for example. by crystallization or other change in physical properties. It should preserve its original effective form.

For this composition, Vthere may be used a water-repellent wax composition of little or no tendency to crystallize on long usage of the article perties adapting it to be applied in fluent condition and then to become relatively A suitable composition is parainn wax and an admixed protective substance minimizing the tendency of the wax to c on long standing, after being impregnated into the outer portions of the improved sheet. Such substance may act as a protective colloid or by lowering of the crystallimtion temperature of the wax. Suitable protective substances are the soaps of magnesium'. zinc,

or aluminum, the magnesium soap including a large proportion of stearate being preferred at The proportions of the said water-repellent agent and water-repellent composition may be varied within limits. However, the proportion of either or of both combined should not be so great as to aect excessively the strength of the finished sheet. 0n the other hand, the proportions of the materials should be adequate to give the desired overall water-repellency necessary to preserve a satisfactory dielectric strength of the panel on exposure to moisture. With these gen- `eral requirements as to proportions in view, there may be used 1 to 5 parts by weight, say, 2 parts of the agent Ii to 100 parts of the finished article and 3 to l0 per cent of the composition l2 onthe weight of the said article. The said composition is preferably concentrated in the outer portions of the product, say. in the outer onesixteenth' to one-fourth inch for an article of thickness of an inch or so.

when it is desired to give to the article a surfacecoatingofannishingnlmtoestablisha desired color or appearance, such, for example, as one similar to that of natural ebony, a continuous film or layer i3 of water-impenetrable and electrical insulating material is applied over the exterior of the article. The material of this layer is one that 2s substantially insoluble in and a non-solvent for the water-repellent agent il or the water-repellent material i2, with one or both of which the layer i3 contacts. Speciiic compositions that may be used to advantage in the layer i3 are the alcohol-soluble (commonly referred to as spirit-soluble) and hydrocarbon-insoluble finishing materials. Shellac is perhaps the best of th'ese materials. when all features are considered, including original cost and ease of application. Another material that may be used as the chief ingredient of the layer I3 is mazein. a corn protein mixture that is soluble in alcohol but insoluble in water, simple esters and hydrocarbone.

The method of manufacture and the resulting product is illustrated more speciiically by the following example.

There is formed an intimate mixture of Portland cement, chrysotileasbestos libres, manganese dioxide or other noncarbonizing Pigment of desired color, aluminum stearate as a waterrepellent agent and water, suitable proportions by weight of the last three ingredients, for 100 partsofalldrymaterials,beingabout5parts of manganese dioxide, 2 of aluminum stearate a properly supported screen bottom. Compression and shaping in the mold is then produced. say, at a maximum pressure of 1,400 to 2,500 pounds to the square inch. Ihe compression is continued for a short time only, until the rate of outflow of expressed water becomes small. The pressing is then discontinued, the strongly compressed and shaped sheet is removed from the press, for best results is repressed against a wire screen as described on page 2 of U. S. Patent 2,080,285 issued to John C. MacIidowie on May 11, 1931, and the Portland cement in the compressed sheet is hardened by being allowed to stand at atmospheric temperature for about a month.

The harden material is then impregnated with the water-repellent composition i2. Suitably, the hardened sheet is first dried at an elevated temperature, as, for instance, at approximately 250 F., until there is practically no further loss in weight, is cut to size and, if necessary, is sanded or otherwise smoothed over the face thereof that is to be exposed during use. The sheet is then immersed in the waterrepellent composition maintained in fluid condition and allowed to stand therein until the desired proportion of impregnating material is absorbed. For example, the dried sheet may be immersed in a warmed composition including parafiin wax and the selected admixed protective substance. to minimize subsequent crystallization of the wax. in the proportion of 1 to 5 parts by weight of the protective substance to 100 parts of the wax. Thus, there may be used a melted composition including 98% of parafiin wax and 2% of magnesium stearato and the sheet allowed to absorb about 3 to 10% and, preferably, about 5% by weight of the said composition, this amount being that which remains in the sheet subsequent to draining it.

The impregnated sheet is removed from the impregnating composition, is allowed to drain, and is cooled to room temperature.

To the sheet so made, there may then be applied the nlm I3, as by spraying or otherwise coating the sheet with a solution of shellac or the like in a volatile solvent or solvent mixture therefor that does not cause bleeding or solution of the water-repellent agent or composition in the sheet. Thus, shellac may be applied in a composition which is very high in alcohol content, say, in content of methanol or ethanol mixed with butyl or amyl alcohol to retard evaporation and promote smoothness of film.

LMWIN a s..|\

The layer I3 should be applied so as to give a continuous film and should contain a very high proportion of non-carbonizing and substantially non-conducting pigment or pigments, to establish a desired color, the pigment or pigments being incorporated into the solution of nishing material before it is applied to the sheet.

The volatile solvent used in applying the shellac or the like is allowed to evaporate, in the usual manner.

Typical sheets one inch thick, made as described, show, on the average, approximately the following properties: modulus of rupture..'4,500 pounds; water absorption, on 48 hours immersion, 1.10%; dielectric strength, after 24 hours immersion in water, 63 volts per mil; combined surface and volume leakage 0.4 mllliampere for 20,000 volts..

It will be understood that these properties vary considerably from one sample to another and that the numerical properties are given only to illustrate the general high order of quality oi' the product.

It will be understood, also, that the details given are for the purpose of illustration, not restriction, and that variations within the spirit ot the invention are intended to be included in the scope oi. the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An electric switchboard panel comprising a shaped and compressed intimate mixture of asbestos bres and Portland cement in harder-ei condition, a water-repellent agent distributed in small proportion throughout the mixture and a water-repellent composition, in addition to the said agent, impregnating the outer portions of the panel, the said composition including a wax and a protective substance minimizing crystallization of the wax.

2. An electrical insulating sheet including a compressed intimate mixture of inorganic ilbres,

a hydraulic cement in hardened condition and a water-repellent composition distributed throughout the outer portions at least of the sheet, the water-repellent composition including paraiiln wax and an admixed water-repellent soap of a multivalent metal.

3. An electrical insulating panel or the like comprising a shaped and compressed mixture of asbestos libres and cement, a water-repellent agent distributed in small proportions throughout the mixture, a second water-repellent agent impregnating and closing the pores adjacent the outer faces of the panel, and a -nish iilm extending over a face of the panel, said iilm being substantially a non-solvent for and insoluble in the said agents.

4. An electrical insulating panel or the like comprising a shaped and compressed mixture of asbestos bres and cement, a water-repellent agent distributed in small proportions throughout the mixture, a second water-repellent agent impregnating and closing the pores adjacent the outer faces of the panel, and a nish lm extending over a face of the panel, said lm being substantially a non-solvent for and insoluble in the said agents and including a high proportion of a substantially non-carbonizing and non-conducting pigment.

5. An electrical insulating panel or the like comprising. a shaped and compressed mixture of asbestos bres, cement, and a water-repellent soap of a multivalent metal in the proportion of the order of 2 parts by weight of the soap to parts of the mixture, a water-repellent composition impregnating and closing the pores adjacent the outer faces of the panel, and a tlnish iilm extending over a face of the panel, said lm being substantially a non-solvent for and insoluble in the said composition.

GEORGE SMOLAK. 

